Major changes in Indian Army based on Shekatkar Committee recommendations

The Indian Army is all set to become a lean mean fighting machine after the government has accepted the recommendations made by the Shekatkar Committee. The committee was formed in 2015 and was headed by Lieutenant General (Retired) DB Shekatkar. The committee had submitted its report to the then Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar in December 2016. The government has accepted most of the reforms recommended by the committee. Speaking about the new reforms, Defense Minister Arun Jaitley said that 65 recommendations made by the committee have been accepted by the government and these will be implemented by December 31, 2019. The reforms will impact nearly 57,000 posts of soldiers and civilians employed by the Army.

One of the most important reforms would be improving the ‘teeth to tail ratio’. Currently the Army’s teeth to tail ratio is 1:1.15, which implies that there are 115 personnel supporting every 100 soldiers who are directly involved in fighting the enemy. The Army will now aim to improve this ratio and bring it to 1:1 or even better. Other reforms that have been accepted by the government include optimization of communication systems used by the Army, upgrade of equipment repair workshops, upgrade of ammunition and equipment depots, purchasing advanced vehicles, shutting down of military farms and army postal centers in peace locations, raising the standards for recruitment of clerical personnel and drivers, and providing a wider role for the National Cadet Corps (NCC).